Washington
The Impact Project synthesizes publicly available data about the impacts of government change.
State Dashboards provide a snapshot of impacts to states, including the size of the federal workforce, federal dollars, a profile of probationary workers, and impacts to federal programs.
Dashboards will change as the data does, and you may find areas that need updating. Please reach out via [email protected] if you would like to support our work, share data, or provide feedback.
Click here to download state data.
Federal Workforce in Washington
Total Workforce
3,884,193
Federal Workforce
56,772
Probationary Federal Workforce
5,375
Sources: OPM.gov (Mar. '24); Census.gov (Dec '24); BLS.gov (Feb. '24)
Federal Funding & State Revenue
Historically, federal dollars have accounted for about a quarter to a third of state revenue. The COVID-19 Pandemic increased those numbers. Approximately 26.3% of the State's 2019 budget came from federal funding, and 33.9% of 2022's budget.
Sources: Pew Trusts; Census.gov; NBER.gov
Summary of State Dots
| Action | Washington Stories |
|---|---|
| Defense | 12 |
| Economy & Employment | 10 |
| Education | 6 |
| Emergency Services, Public Safety & Law Enforcement | 6 |
| Energy | 25 |
| Food & Agriculture | 23 |
| Housing | 2 |
| Humanities & the Arts | 3 |
| Immigration | 2 |
| Infrastructure | 14 |
| International Development | 35 |
| Natural Resources, Environment & Public Lands | 53 |
| Overarching | 22 |
| Public Health & Healthcare | 48 |
| Research & Academic Research | 20 |
| Social Services | 11 |
| Total | 292 |
Sources: theimpactproject.org
Last Updated: 4/23/25
DOGE Data Summary
According to DOGE data, 21 contracts, 75 grants and 14 leases have been terminated in Washington.
Source: https://doge.gov/savings
Top Federal Occupations in Washington
This table provides a snapshot of federal occupations in this state. Click here for descriptions of these occupations.
Probationary employees include those employed by a federal agency for a year or less by March, 2024. For some agencies, the probationary period last longer (2-3yrs). In most cases, the probationary period restarts when a worker is promoted.
| Occupation | Total Employees | Probationary Employees |
|---|---|---|
| NURSE | 2741 | 307 |
| MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANCE | 1275 | 179 |
| MISCELLANEOUS CLERK AND ASSISTANT | 1003 | 144 |
| MARINE MACHINERY MECHANIC | 1107 | 126 |
| MISCELLANEOUS ADMINISTRATION AND PROGRAM | 1981 | 123 |
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT | 1546 | 114 |
| ELECTRICIAN | 887 | 113 |
| ENGINEERING TECHNICAL | 1400 | 100 |
| GENERAL BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY | 1011 | 77 |
| MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAM ANALYSIS | 1566 | 54 |
Sources: OPM.gov (2024)
Top Federal Employers in State
| State | Agency | Non-probationary | Probationary | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WA | Department Of The Navy | 17499 | 1829 | 19328 |
| WA | Department Of Veterans Affairs | 8998 | 1169 | 10167 |
| WA | Department Of The Army | 5086 | 627 | 5713 |
| WA | Department Of Defense | 3853 | 520 | 4373 |
| WA | Department Of The Interior | 2105 | 116 | 2221 |
Sources: OPM.gov
Impacted Funding for Food Programs
This summarizes cuts from only a few of the food-related programs impacted by funding changes since January 2025.
The LFS program awards money to states to buy local foods for schools and childcare institutions, and the LFPA program provides funding for state, tribal and territorial governments to buy food produced within the state or within 400 miles of delivery destinations. Both programs have been cancelled.
| State, Tribe, or Territory | Local Food for Schools (FY25) | Local Food Purchase Cooperative Agreement (FY25) |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $11,528,326 | $8,494,890 |
Source: https://www.usaspending.gov/
Top 5 Counties with Federal Workers
| County | Federal Employees |
|---|---|
| Kitsap | 21014 |
| King | 18833 |
| Pierce | 11305 |
| Spokane | 5087 |
| Clark | 3870 |
Sources: BLS.gov
Potentially Impacted Federal Programs
Washington state administers several federally supported social programs that are widely utilized by its residents, particularly those facing economic and health challenges. These programs address various needs, including healthcare, nutrition, financial assistance, and housing. Examples include:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program
- Head Start and Early Head Start
- Community Services Block Grant (CSBG)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Some of these programs have already been impacted, and others may be impacted in the future.
State Map
- Rural Counties
- Indigenous Lands
- Majority Non-White
- Poverty Rate >= 20%
- 0 - 4,000
- 4,000 - 7,000
- 7,000 - 10,000
- 10,000 - 15,000
- 15,000 - 25,000
- 25,000 - 35,000
- 35,000 - 50,000
- >50,000
- 0 - 50
- 50 - 100
- 100 - 250
- 250 - 500
- 500 - 1,000
- 1,000 - 5,000
- 5,000 - 10,000
- >10,000
- Statewide Impact
- Location-Specific
Future Analysis
Check back for deeper dives into this data, including consideration of these questions:
- How do these changes impact local and state economies?
- How are local and state governments, NGOs, and businesses responding to federal changes? What gaps are they filling, and what gaps remain?
- How is federal government change evolving over time?
Download Full Data Set
Access a comprehensive Excel file containing all the data shown on this page. This downloadable resource is ideal for further analysis, reporting, or presentations.
“We’re losing almost the entirety of our on-the-ground recreation workforce. We get an incredibly good deal from these hardworking employees. Cutting these jobs is not an efficient or smart way to cut government spending.” - Anonymous